Plant The Spear: Boston College Eagles

Plant The Spear is a weekly column previewing the upcoming matchup for the Florida State Seminoles. As a newly anointed father, I decided that it would be best to talk about the things that really matter to fans – tailgating, food, out-of-town watering holes, weather, betting lines and of course, cheerleaders – never forget the cheerleaders. If you’re looking for your typically stuffy and recycled game preview that practically every other sports website has, don’t read this. Go somewhere else. However, if you enjoy a take on college football that’s mixed with pop culture references and a little witty banter all smothered in sarcasm, we’ll get along just fine.

*Author’s Note* As always, this is a No Homer Zone. Regardless of my membership with the Seminole Boosters, or my being a Florida State fan since I was 10 (I’m 32 now), or the fact that my wife is an FSU grad – I’m a college football fan above all else. Kool-Aid drinking will not be tolerated.

Breakdown:The Noles resume ACC play this week with a road trip to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College. FSU has yet to be truly tested this season, and that trend looks to continue on Saturday against the Eagles. Seminole redshirt freshman QB Jameis Winston has settled into his role as field general and the Noles continue their march toward the October 19 showdown with Clemson. (Fans and people who write about sports – we’ll call them “journalists,” are allowed to look ahead to big games.) Again, I’m not going to pretend like this is some monumental showdown between FSU and BC, because it isn’t. You guys know that, right? Of course you do. My only hope is that none of the FSU players are arrested in a bah, get hit by a cah, or overdose on the ever delicious New England Clam Chowda. That would be wicked terrible, the opposite of wicked awesome.

What Boston College Is Working With:

Why FSU Will Win: For the sake of the fans, I’ll cut the crap at this point. Boston College just isn’t that good. Get this – the Eagles have only been in the red zone FOUR TIMES the entire season. They struggled with yet beat 1-AA Villanova in the opener, took out Wake Forest and traveled out to USC and were pounded by the Trojans. (Hate when that happens) I also hate to keep repeating myself week after week, but the Noles have too much firepower on offense and too much speed on defense for this to even be a game. FSU QB Famous Jameis Winston should have a field day against the BC secondary, and the three-headed running back monster of Devonta Freeman, James Wilder Jr. and Karlos Williams could very well break 300 yards against the porous Eagle defense. Winston through the air, ground and pound with Wild Free Will. Recipe for success.

What Worries Me: Nothing really jumps out at me about Boston College that would strike fear into the hearts of Seminole fans except for maybe our good ol’ friend the injury bug. The injury bug is a bastard, and thus far the Noles have yet to feel his wrath – which up to this point is pretty much the exact opposite from last season. Every time a team takes the field they run the risk of losing a player or players for the season. Maybe football is just too violent, you guys. Maybe we should use a balloon instead of a football, and the players should all hug each other instead of tackling. We could call it – Sarcastaball……

Watch Out For: If I have to pick, I guess I’m going with Boston College junior running back Andre Williams (6’/227). Williams is a beast and does not shy away from contact. The only problem here is that the FSU defense doesn’t either. Williams will carry the load for the Eagles, but he lacks the speed to outrun any of the FSU back seven (or eight) if he indeed makes it that far. He has rushed for over 100 yards in each game this season, which brings me to my next thought….

What I’d Like To See:Just like I said last week, I want to see the Noles come out firing on all cylinders. The last two games have been pushovers at home (Nevada, Bethune-Cookman) and while Boston College isn’t exactly a heavyweight, they do present a slight upgrade in talent from the previous two weeks. I’m going to be watching (the whole game, obviously) but in particular the defense to see how it handles the huge offensive line of BC. My main concern so far this season is that the Noles have been gashed for some good chunks of yardage at times this season despite only giving up 3.4 yards per rush. Mix in a hefty-sized BC offensive line with a bruising running back and the Noles may be facing their toughest test in the trenches this season. Dominate the line of scrimmage, disrupt BC senior QB Chase Rettig, have some chowda. Oh, and sweep the leg. Always sweep the leg.

Weather:(Chestnut Hill, MA) 70* at Kickoff / Clear Skies

Vegas:Florida State -23.5 / Over-Under: 53

Prediction: Pretty easy pick again this week. FSU just has too much for BC on both sides of the ball. I also predict that I am going to eat way too much Boston Cream Pie before halftime and quite possibly slip into a sugar coma, causing me to miss the Breaking Bad finale on Sunday.

Details:The Back Bay area of Boston will be an excellent staging area for many of you, especially if you have chosen a hotel in this area of the city. Brownstone, is the Boston Seminole Game Watching location, they will be serving lunch to help you get started. The full bar will be open as well so this is the declared party HQ for the day of the game. The Green Line trains are just a couple blocks away, and the Orange Line’s Back Bay station is about a half a block.Kickoff Party – (Near Boston College)When:Saturday, September 28 Time: Morning & Afternoon Where:Cityside and Roggie’s

Details:Both are located in excellent proximity to each other and to the football stadium on the campus of Boston College. As you make your way to the stadium, be sure to come by and spend some time with your fellow ‘Noles. The best Green Line stop is “Chestnut Hill Avenue” on the “B” or “Boston College” portion of the Green Line. “Cleveland Circle” at the end of the “C” is excellent too, and my favorite way to get to the stadium. At the time of your choosing walk around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and enter the football stadium. See page 9 of the City Tailgate Guide for specific stops on the “T”.

The Boston Seminole Club has put together an extensive City Tailgate Guide to the Boston area. It has information about restaurants & bars, how to navigating the city, parking on game day, and plenty of maps to keep you from getting lost. This is well worth downloading and keeping handy while you are in the Boston area. Please click on the link below to view or download.